Washout sub for well packers



Dec. 22, 1953 L. J. BIRDWELL WASHOUT SUB FOR WELL PACKERS Filed July 16,1949 ATTO RN EY FIG Patented Dec. 22, `1953 WAsHoU'r SUB Fon WELLPACKERS Louis J. Birdwell, Oklahoma City, Okla., assignor to AmericanIron and Machine Works Company, Oklahoma, City, Okla., a corporation oiDelaware Application July 16, 1949, Serial No. 105,154

f 4 Claims. l

The invention pertains to oil well production tubing strings wherein awall packer is used to close the annular space lying between the tubingstring and the surrounding well casing.

The primary object or" the ydevice is to provide a short tubing sectionor sub which may be installed directly above the well packer, so as toform a continuation of the string, such section containing lateral fluidejecting perfcrations for washing above the packer, and also containingmeans for selectively opening and closing such pericrations. Y

A further object is to provide a device of this class which is positivein action, simple in operation, and` comparatively cheap to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a device which may be used repeatedly.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying single sheet or drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partially in vertical section, showingthe device in open or un-set condition; and,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device in closed or setcondition.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those gures of thedrawings in which they occur. e

In the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates, as a Whole, a tubular upper headhaving an axial bore 2 and an exteriorly threaded pin 3 whereby'it maybe attached to the lower end of a tubing or pipe string, not shown.

The pin 5 has an integral depending tubular sleeve portion il havingtherearound an exterior upwardly facing annular shoulder i5. Thelowermost portion of the sleeve is formed to produce a downwardlytapered portion or lip t which terminates in an annular end l.

The device further includes: a metal ring 8 which surrounds the sleeveIl above the shoulder 5, a tubular body S which is welded as indicatedat l0, to the lower end of the ring 8, the lower end of the body beingprovided with internal threads l l; a lower head l2 which is tubular,and which terminates in a threaded pin I3 by which it may be connectedto the upper end of a packer mandrel it.

The upper end of the head l2 is threaded into.

the threads il of the sleeve 9, and is also provided with internalthreads I5 for engaging the lower end of an upwardly projectingguide-sleeve it, The guide-sleeve It extends upwardly Within 2 thesleeve portion @i of the head i, and has a sliding working t therein.

The body is provided with a plurality oi through ports or perorationsil, and the guidesleeve i6 is provided with a similar plurality ofradially spaced through perforations i8.

Nesting snugly between the inner surface of the body e and the outersurface of the guidesleeve It, there is provided an annular resilientsealing element i9 which seats upon the upper end 20 of the lower headi2. A metal split follower ring t! provided upon the upper end of thesealing element i9.

The inner surface of the sealing element I9 is iiared upwardly tocoincide with the taper of the portion or skirt e of the head portionll.

The arrangement is such that when the head i is moved downwardly withinthe body 9, the tapered portion 6 enters thesealing element I9 andpresses it outwardly into positive sealing engagement with the innersurface of the body Si. When the head l is at the lower end of itstravel, the sleeve portion l thereof resides between the perforations lland i3 and acts to effectually close communication therebetween.

When the head l is at the upper end of its travel, the lower end 'i ofthe sleeve portion 6 lies above the perforations ll and I8.

In order to normally hold the head l at the upper end of its travel, thewall of the body 9 is perforated, and the wall of the sleeve portion 4is bored transversely about half way through in a plurality of places,and shear pins 2l are driven therein to anchor the two elements againstrelative vertical movements.

When it is desired to set the well packer in a cased well, the deviceand the packer are assembled in the condition illustrated in Fig. l, andare lowered into the well on a string of drill-pipe or tubing, notshown. During the lowering operation, communication between theperforations I'l and I8 is open. In setting the packer, it is necessarythat the packer expanding mandrel lll be urged violently downward. Whenthis is done, the shear-pins 2l are sheared, and the tapered portion 6of the head l is lowered into expanding conta-ct with the sealingelement i9. Communication between perforations I8 and il is thereforeefectually closed during the time the packer remains set in the well.

When it becomes desirable to remove the packer from the Well, the rstlifting movement of the tubing string will lift the tapered portion 6out of the sealing element l 9, and will raise the sleeve portion frombetween the perforations ll and i 8, thus opening communication betweenthe two perforations.

Should it then be found that the packer is stuck, due to a deposit ofresidue thereabove, wash-out circulation may be accomplished by forcinguid downwardly through the pipe string to the bore 2, from whence itwill be ejected into the well kcasing through the perforations I8 andl'l so that the deposit may be washed away.

The pins 2l must be replaced before the tool is again run into the wellcasing.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change cr alterationwithout .defeating vits practicability, and I therefore do not wish tobe cone lined to the preferred embodiment `shown in the drawings anddescribed herein, further that I am limited by the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

l. A washout device for installation in a tubing string at a pointdirectly above a well packer, having in combination.: fa tubular upperhead having its upper end adapted for attachment :to the vlower end of asection .of production tubing to form a continuation thereof; twononcentric bodies telescopically contacting the lower portion of theupper head, .both exterorly yand interidrly, and slidable verticallywith relation thereto; normally .open outlet por-ts in the walls of.said bodies for exhausting a washing fluid from Vthe innermost body,said ports adapted to be closed by downward movement ci the upper head;means for limiting vertical movement of the bodies; a lower tubular headcarried by the lower ends of said bodies and adapted for attachment tothe upper end of a packer; and aresilient annular sealing elementsupported by the lower :head between the lower ends koi the tubularbodies for sealing with the lower end .of the upper head, when it is atthe lower end of its travel.

2. A washout device for installation in `a tub- 4, ing string at a pointdirectly above a well packer, having in combination: an upper tubularhead adapted at its upper end for attachment to the lower end of asection of production tubing to form a continuation thereof; a firsttubular body telescopically surrounding the head and slidable verticallywith relation thereto; a second tubular body slidably fitted within thehead in concentric relation to the rst body; interengaging,

kmeans carried by the head and one of the bodies for limiting downwardmovement of the head; a lower tubular head carried by the lower ends 0i?said bodies, and adapted at its lower end to connect the upper end of awell packer; communieating 'lateral ports '1in the two bodies forexhausting a washing lu'idvfrom the innermost body; an upwardly flaredtubular packing element of resilient material mounted on the lower head,and lying in the annulus between the two bodies and the sleeve; and adownwardly tapered portion on the ,lower end Vof the upper head forentering :and expanding the packing,

,3. Structure as specified in claim ,1, and shear means for normallyhold-ing the upper head at the :upper end of its travel.

.4. :Structure as specied in claim 2, and shear means :for normallyholding the upper head `at the 11p-pei' end of its travel.

LOUIS J. vBIRDVS/ELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNum-ber Name Date 53,283 Firmenich Mar. 2), 1866 871,258 Criswell Nov.19, 1907 2,214,555 Hayward Sept. 1-0, 1940 2,478,350 Wirz Aug. ,9, 19492,495,642 Penick Jan. 124, ,1950

